Saturday, January 1, 2011

And so we begin....

Happy New Year!  Happy New Decade!  Can you believe it?

Ten years ago, I was cradling my 3 week old baby boy, trying to come to grips with all that is new mommy-hood.  Now, that baby is 5 feet tall and has 2 siblings.  Over the past 10 years I have gained gray hair, a few lbs, some much-needed patience (still could use some more tho), gave up a job (shoulda done that about 10 years ago, too!), and took on about 17 jobs to replace the paid one (teacher, chauffeur, cook, maid, referee, etc.).  So - where were you 10 years ago?

One of the things I hope to do this year is to get to know my cyber-friends a bit better.  My life has been dramatically altered for the better by all the wonderful people I have met through my digi-scrapping passion (another new thing for me this past decade - I'm creative - who knew??).  I'll go first - I saw this idea on another blog and it looked like fun.  Feel free to make your own list & post a link to your blog in the comments - looking forward to learning more about you!  Here goes:

100 Things About Me:

1. I am in my early 40’s.
2. I have 3 kids, one of which was a complete surprise.
3. I homeschool my kids.  Much to my surprise, we all LOVE it.
4. Shasta daisies & George Tabor azaleas are my favorite flowers to look at.
5. Gardenias are my favorite flower to smell.
6. I could NEVER be a vegetarian.
7. I cuss a lot.  I spent too many years in law firms - lawyers think the F-word is everything but an article.
8. I am a Christian.
9. I do not believe it is my place to judge others.  Jesus called us to love…and I try to do that. 
10. My kids eat & love vegetables - all of them.  Yes, even brussels sprouts. 
11. I am absolutely fascinated by sociopathic criminals.
12. My biggest pet peeve is a hidden agenda - don't try and manipulate me - just ask.  
13. My husband knows more about technology than ANYBODY else I know - period. 
14. I love wine, vodka, dark rum, good tequila.  Gin tastes like treated pine boards.
15. I don’t smoke.  I hate the smell of cigarette smoke but love pipe smoke.
16. I have never even tried drugs.  But, now that I'm done having kids, I admit to being very curious about a few of them.
17. My first car was a 1968 911E.  Damn, I miss that car.
18. My current car is a 2005 Toyota Sienna minivan.  Sometimes, being a parent sucks.
19. I have no pets.  I miss my cats.
20. My kids have 3 gerbils, two frogs and a bearded dragon lizard.
21. There is a dog in our future - as a reward to our oldest for enduring 5 years of allergy shots.
22. Clutter drives me nuts.
23. I like Krystal burgers.
24. I don’t like mayonnaise, avocado or cantaloupe.  Everything else is fair game.
25. Salt & Vinegar potato chips may have been divinely inspired.
26. I prefer chewy to crunchy - except for peanut butter.
27. I could eat asian food every day and be quite happy.
28. I am trying to learn Mandarin, Japanese, and Spanish.  My French is almost useless these days.
29. I believe that sweet tea is redundant.
30. I think the world would be a better place if more parents spanked.
31. Noodles are my favorite food….followed closely by poached lobster.
32. I could not live without music & reading.
33. I read over 100 books a year.  Before kids, it was 3 or 4 times that amount.
34. I type like I'm playing piano but I can still type over 80 wpm.
35. I own a sewing machine but don’t really know how to sew.
36. I want a maid & a lawn service but can't get comfortable with having somebody work around me.
37. I am married to a borderline hoarder - it drives my anti-clutter gene nuts. 
38. I watch more TV than I should.
39. I love hot (Bikram) yoga.
40. My homeschooled kids are never home.  Fridays are the only day that we have nothing scheduled each week.
41. My new favorite gadget is my Nook color.  Hoping that techie hubby will hack it for me!
42. I have never left a bookstore with less than $100 of purchases.
43. I understand I overspend on books. I am working on that.
44. My kids all knew how to cuss by age 2.  Not proud of that one.
45. I've started cussing in French.  They are not studying French.
46. I don’t get as much satisfaction out of cussing in French.
47. I am not a people person.  Most people are idiots.
48. I hate stupid drivers.
49. My politics are extremely Libertarian.
50. I truly believe that the gov't should but the hell out of my business & that people should learn to take care of themselves.
51. I hate it when smartass people quiz my homeschooled kids.  
52. I love it when my homeschooled kids know the answers & then stump the questioner.
53. I don’t like to shop in stores.  
54. I am on a first-name basis with my UPS guy and mail carrier.
55. I am addicted to FaceBook, as are the rest of you reading this. Don’t deny it. Don’t resist the truth.
56. I have reconnected with many old friends and family thanks to FaceBook.
57. I used to believe that I was too logical and linear to be creative.
58. I now know that I am very creative.
59. I don't play video games.
60. I'd rather watch paint dry than gamble in Vegas.
61. I'd spend a fortune on a fabulous meal but can't stand to pay lots for a hotel room (you spend most of your time in there with your eyes shut!)
62. I have very expensive tastes.  Good thing I'm not very into "stuff."
63. My kids have to earn screen time (tv, Wii, DS, computer, etc.).
64. They all could operate both a PC and a Mac by the time they were three years old.  Proud of that one.
65. I think that world travel is the best education you can get - as long as you avoid all tours & touristy places.
66. I think the best way to understand another country is to understand their food.
67. I have everything but gangsta rap on my Ipod.
68. Most of my best friends (prior to becoming a Mommy) were men.
69. My husband is probably the least jealous person on the planet.
70. I will probably never learn as much as I want to.
71. I would love to write a book one day.
72. I have no idea what I would write about.
73. I read everything but romance novels.
74. I have to have a fireplace in my home.
75. All 3 of my kids will be taller than me (I'm 5' 10").
76. I breastfed my kids until they wanted to quit.  It was also easier & cheaper than formula.  Plus, the diapers smelled better.
77. I used disposable diapers. I would use them again if I were going to have more kids. 
78. I think all Christmas trees should be real.
79. My favorite candy is gummy bears.
80. I collect sheep.
81. I've visited lighthouses on 4 continents.  Yes, really.
82. San Francisco and DC are my two fave cities to visit in the US.
83. My daughter was a water birth.  Wish all 3 of them had been.
84. My husband is 3 1/2 years younger than me.
85. He is my best friend.  Corny….but true.
86. I am confrontational.  Hubby is passive-aggressive.  Makes for some interesting arguments.
87. Despite weighing less now than I did before kids, I gained an inch in my waist for each kid.
88. I should floss more than I do.
89. I hate my coffee table & wish we had a big ottoman instead.
90. I make the best egg salad ever.
91. I love photography.  I still own several film cameras.  I cried when they stopped making Kodachrome.
92. I am without a paycheck for the first time since I was 11 years old.
93. I think everyone should learn to swim, balance a checkbook, do CPR, and cook the basics.
94. I detest needles.  Two years of infertility treatments did not help that.
95. I’m allergic to tetanus shots. I haven't had one since I was 12.
96. I have very strong opinions on religion, politics, and different types of homeschooling.
97. I think funny men are sexy.  My husband is hilarious.
98. I miss old-fashioned manners.  
99. I don’t like people being in my house for very long.  3 days is plenty.
100. I don’t like talking on the phone. I will email all day.  

Your turn!  Hope that 2011 is the best year yet for you all....

5 comments:

kimB said...

Great post, Meg! I like the idea of getting to know our cyber-friends on a deeper level :) It may take me some time to come up with 100 things about myself (that I'm willing to share publicly!), but will come back here and post a link when it's ready to view :)

Happy New Year to you and those you love!

-- kimB

Unknown said...

Love this post! Loved learning more about you! I did one of these a few years back - don't think I have the energy to do it again, lol, but I think I'll look the old one up and revisit.

latz said...

Meg--thanks for opening up and sharing yourself with us! What a great list. Now we just need to see a layout using this! (no pressure).

Lisa (latz)

Unknown said...

Love your post Meg darling! Your list is great and I don't think I could compile such a list so kudos to yours! Can't wait to be together again at the next Spraguefest! Cheers!

LisaDV said...

It's been forever since I've really hung out at the Spraground. But I always liked you when I did. This just really explained why. I had many "me too" moments reading your list.